


Shared Hurt

by Heavenbat



Category: Guild Wars 2 (Video Game)
Genre: Asura (Guild Wars), Emotional Comfort, Fan Characters, Gen, Mild Angst, The Misfit Krewe, i guess?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-15
Updated: 2018-04-15
Packaged: 2019-04-23 04:47:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 867
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14324910
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Heavenbat/pseuds/Heavenbat
Summary: Abuse, neglect, and loss can leave lasting impacts--even when we think we're over it.Vex gets moody, and Jozzik offers some surprisingly helpful comfort.





	Shared Hurt

**Author's Note:**

> Cross-posted from [this post](https://heavenbat-gw2.tumblr.com/post/166297650718/shared-hurt) on tumblr; Jozzik is the only character mentioned that belongs to me, all others belong to [radioactivesoda](https://radioactivesoda-gw2.tumblr.com/)

By all means, it should have been an ordinary day in the Krewe’s lab. Key word: should. True, it had started off ordinary enough (at least by Misfit Krewe standards) … But then Khallalh’s parents had contacted them, saying that they were in the area and asking to come visit.

And so, a few hours later, they'd showed up at the door. They were currently gathered in a small group with Khallalh in the commons area, chatting it up and having a great time.

Not for the first time, Jozzik felt a pang run through his heart at the sight. Seeing Khallalh with his family always made him miss his own father even more. Keeping well out of the line of sight, he skirted around the room. At least, until something caught his eye.

Vex was perched on the stairs, half hidden behind a plant and watching the gathering with an expression that was unusually subdued for the warrior. It wasn't hard to figure out why; Vex’s parents had been neglectful at best, abusive at worst. At least Jozzik could say his dad had loved him. Vex didn't even have that. Changing his trajectory, Jozzik wandered up to him and waited for Vex to acknowledge his existence.

When he finally did (by half-turning to look at him) Jozzik asked, “Do you mind if I sit?”

After a pause, Vex grunted “Whatever.” But, again, it was remarkably subdued, especially for the anger-prone Vex.

Jozzik turned and sat, smoothing out his overcoat. For a few moments, he sat in silence with Vex, the two of them watching as Khallalh smiled (a rare sight) and tickled his little sister Kalla’s tummy. An illusory butterfly appeared out of thin air, fluttering between Jozzik and Vex as Jozzik collected his thoughts.

“Sometimes I get jealous too,” Jozzik finally said, breaking the silence.

Vex gave him an ‘I-don’t-want-to-talk-about-this’ look and curled in on himself ever so slightly; drawing his knees closer, hunching further.

Jozzik waved a hand. “Don't worry, you don't have to say anything if you don't want. I can do enough talking for both of us.” He took a breath in through his nose and continued, “I mean, it's for a different reason, obviously, but… Sometimes it just hurts so much, seeing other people with families that aren't broken, that are whole and happy. It makes me want to scream and cry and grab them by the shoulders and shake them until they realize how lucky they are, and it's not fair, and sometimes I wonder what I did wrong to deserve this--” his voice cracked, emotions threatening to spill over. By now there was a handful of shimmering magenta butterflies, their flight erratic and agitated.

Another deep breath, a moment to adjust his clothes and his tiara, pointedly not looking directly at Vex even though out of the corner of his eye, he could see the warrior staring at him. He fixed his gaze on a butterfly.

“But when the jealousy gets too bad, I just look at what I do have. You guys…. You're family. Nothing will change that. Sometimes we lose our blood family and sometimes our blood family is a steaming pile of Dolyak droppings, but the family we find, the family we make is a family you know you can count on no matter what. They won't make it stop hurting, but they'll make it bearable, at least.”

Silence fell over the two once more. Jozzik continued to focus on the same butterfly from before; beside him, he heard Vex sniffle slightly.

Then, finally, “I’m not mad, I’m… it’s just… more sad? And, and they already treat me like family,” he waved a hand towards Khallalh’s family, “but it… I just…”

Vex made a strangled noise, the one he always made when words didn’t cooperate with him.

Jozzik chuckled, making the butterfly float over to land on Vex’s knee. “But it still hurts sometimes, right?” When Vex nodded, he continued, “Because even though they’re treating you like family, there’s still that knowledge in the back of your mind that they’re not your blood family, and you can’t help but think of what it could’ve been like if you’d had what he has.”

“.... Yeah,” Vex answered, once again withdrawing slightly.

Jozzik let the silence return for a stretch. The two of them sat together in their shared pain, listening to the voices of Khallalh’s family.

Eventually, though, Jozzik stood; that was enough wallowing for today. He turned to Vex (whose face was partially obscured by the dreadlocks cascading around his face). Jozzik reached a hand out to him.

“Hey. I heard there’s a new dessert shop set up in Rata Sum, you want to go grab something from there?”

Vex sniffled again, reaching a hand up to wipe at his face before looking at Jozzik’s hand.

“Yeah,” he said. He clasped Jozzik’s hand in his, using it as leverage to stand up (and nearly pulling Jozzik over in the process; Jozzik somehow always forgot how bulky Vex was). “And… thanks.”

“They don’t call me great for nothing, darling~” Jozzik hummed with a grin. And before Vex could respond, he teleported them both away in a cloud of butterflies.


End file.
